Large Bull Shark Caught By Australian Fishermen In Georges River

A large bull shark was caught by two fishermen in the Georges River in south west Sydney on Monday. The New South Wales (NSW) Maritime posted a picture of the shark catchers posing alongside their prized carcass, prompting a safety warning along the beach of the river.

"Caught this arvo half a kilometer down from picnic point on George’s River," the post was captioned.

Bull sharks are a common occurrence in the Georges River, according to the local people who have grown up in the surrounding area. "I’m 34 and my parents have always told me about the bull sharks in Georges River. I mean they don’t just put those signs up for no reason," one person commented below the photos of the shark. Another Facebook user recalled: "I remember when we were kids fishing off the bridge at Prince Edward Park in Woronora, the amount of sharks, large and small, cruising up stream was enough to keep us out of the water."

Wayne Peake, secretary treasurer of Club Picnic Point’s fishing club, Panania, New South Wales, Australia, said that he was not surprised to hear that the river, which is also a popular waterskiing destination, was full of the aquatic predators.

"We don’t often see them on the surface, in the traditional Jaws way, but there’s evidence," Peake said, the Daily Telegraph reported. "Since the 1900s there have been three or four fatal attacks in the Georges River and about half a dozen non-fatal going back to 1906."

He added: "The other day we pulled in a large tailor with its head bitten off." Tailor fish are a popular recreational fishing species in Western Australia and are hunted by some shark species.

In 1946, 14-year-old Valma Tegel, who dived off a jetty into the river, got bitten by a bull shark. The 8-foot shark tore off her left leg, which caused her to die shortly after she was rescued by her father and brought to the riverbank. The incident was the last known fatal attack by a shark in the area.

The Georges River website, however, states that sharks lurking in the water are an "unusual occurrence."

"The Georges River is one of Sydney's healthiest rivers, there are still some precautions to take before you swim," the website states. "In the warmer months, jellyfish can sometimes be found in large numbers in the Georges River. Whilst these are not dangerous, they can be annoying and cause minor discomfort. Whilst sharks have been sighted in the River, this is an unusual occurrence."

Meanwhile, a whale carcass was spotted near a popular beach on Jubilee Point, in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, in Sorrento, which prompted a shark warning to be issued for beachgoers wading into the waters. Victoria's fishery authority warned the carcass could attract a flock of sharks. Hence, beachgoers were warned not to swim into the waters, especially if they had any bleeding wounds, Yahoo News reported.

As for Picnic Point, after the bull shark was caught on the beach, the NSW Maritime warned people near the area to "take care out there."